Political Quotes

“If I may respond to my friend from Illinois, Hamdi was an American citizen captured in Afghanistan. He had joined al-Qaida--the Taliban, I guess in that case. We captured him when we went into Afghanistan. We brought him back and we held him as an enemy combatant for intelligence-gathering purposes. His case went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said we could hold an American citizen as an unlawful enemy combatant, we just have to create procedures, a due process requirement. Eventually, the court said every unlawful enemy combatant has a habeas right. The law of the land is clear that an American citizen helping the enemy overseas can be held indefinitely. But they have the right to petition a judge as to whether the initial determination was correct. If the habeas judge believes there is not enough evidence to hold this enemy combatant, then they have to release them. But if the judge agrees with the government that there is enough evidence to hold them as an enemy combatant, they can be held indefinitely. This President is holding 48 people at Guantanamo Bay who have never seen a criminal courtroom because of the theory of law of war. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.”